Improve Your Communication Skills

Alan Barker Alan Barker is Managing Partner of Direction, a learning consultancy that works to develop creativity and skilled communication. A prolific writer, he is the author of Improve your Communication Skills, How to be Better at Managing People, 30 Minutes to Brainstorm Great Ideas, 30 Minutes Before a Meeting and How to Manage Meetings (all published by Kogan Page).

Part 1 The process of communication: what is communication?; how people understand managing information; ideas - the currency of communication conversation - the heart of communication. Part 2 How conversations work: what is a conversation?; why conversations go wrong; putting conversations in context; working out the relationship; setting a structure managing behaviour. Part 3 Seven ways to improve your conversations: clarify your objective; structure your thinking; manage your time; find common ground; move beyond argument; summarise often; use visuals. Part 4 The skills of enquiry: paying attention; treating the speaker as an equal; cultivating ease; encouraging; asking quality questions; rationing information. Part 5 The skills of persuasion character, logic and passion: what's the big idea?; arranging your ideas; expressing your ideas; remembering your ideas; delivering effectively. Part 6 Interviews: holding a formal conversation; when is an interview not an interview?; preparing for the interview; structuring the interview; types of interview. Part 7 Making a presentation: putting yourself on show; preparing for the presentation; managing the material; controlling the audience; looking after yourself; answering questions. Part 8 Putting it in writing; writing for results; making reading easier; writing step by step; designing the document; writing a first draft; editing the draft. Appendix: where to go from here.